Nationals Reach Agreement With Matt Stairs

The Nationals reached an agreement on a minor league deal with Matt Stairs, according to the team's Twitter feed. Stairs has assumed a pinch-hitter role in the last few seasons, hitting .232/.306/.475 in 111 plate appearances for the Padres in 2010. He holds the big league record with 23 career pinch-hit home runs. Stairs, 43 in February, was originally signed by the Expos as an amateur free agent in 1989.